


A Word To The Weiss

by ItsaVikingThing



Category: RWBY
Genre: A hint of the things that Weiss and Blake are dealing with, F/F, Humour, Set in that magically elastic period between Books 2&3, They're better friends than they maybe expect to be, a smidge of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 14:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20565800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsaVikingThing/pseuds/ItsaVikingThing
Summary: Blake and Weiss are teammates. They may even be friends. But of all the members of team RWBY, Blake and Weiss are the least close. So it's a little surprising that Weiss requests Blake's assistance in a matter that she isn't willing to trust with anyone else.It's even more surprising when Blake finds out what Weiss wants her to do...





	A Word To The Weiss

Even if she wasn't familiar with Weiss' handwriting, Blake would instantly know who left the note in her locker.

Though 'note' is not the right word for the stiff cardboard square, edged with gold leaf and bearing a message written in agonisingly precise lettering. Blake reads the message, frowning. She reads it again. She takes out her scroll and places the edge of it under each line of text, all of which are perfectly straight, perfectly aligned, and written in black ink.

Blake sighs. Being friends with Weiss is not unlike playing one of Yang"s videogames when it's set to the highest difficulty: it's hard to tell if the occasional reward for meeting the challenge outweighs all the frustration caused by the many failures on the way.

Weiss' message suggests challenging times ahead. It reads: 
    
    
       _Dear Blake Belladonna,_  
    
    _Ms Weiss Schnee most humbly requests that you join her in Training Room Seven an hour before sundown on this day. You shall not require your weapons or any special equipment. Your utmost discretion in this matter is of the most dire necessity._  
    
    _In expectation of the bounteous gratitude that you shall have earned should you attend, I am most cordially yours,_  
    
    _Weiss Schnee._  
    
    _PS Kindly destroy this invitation. After reading, not before._  
    
    _PPS Don't breathe a word of this to Yang or Ruby! I mean it! I know where you sleep, Blake!_

Blake sighs again. She taps the card against her chin, thinking. She has no idea what this is about, but whatever it is seems to have Weiss worried if she's resorting to formal invitations over using her scroll to get in touch. It's a pattern with her, retreating into either anger or stiff formality whenever she encounters something that makes her feel unfamiliar emotions. Given that almost _everything_ at Beacon seems to make Weiss feel unfamiliar emotions, recognising the pattern doesn't help Blake reach a conclusion about what might be wrong.

Nor does the threat. Weiss has loosened her tight grip on her sense of Schnee propriety in the face of Ruby's boundless enthusiasm and warmth for the partnership they're building. But Weiss has only been able to achieve an inner relaxation by outwardly feigning exasperation at Ruby's every expression of physical affection, and by loudly denying Ruby's most exuberant claims of friendship. Similarly, Weiss can accept a fistbump from Yang, and endure her teasing, but only by verbally sniping at Yang for any and all of her many behavioural deficiencies.

It's a little different, between Weiss and Blake. They didn't quite get on, in a way which was never confronted and was almost pleasant until they had their fight and Blake revealed that she was both a faunus and a former member of the White Fang. Since then Weiss is more careful with Blake, and with how she discusses faunus issues. For her part, Blake has been leaving certain history books lying around, appreciating how carefully Weiss returns them to _almost_ the exact spot she left them. Appreciating, too, how thoughtful Weiss' expression gets when the faunus come up in class.

In a way, the threat in the invitation is nice. It shows that Weiss thinks their relationship is robust enough to handle the theoretical mayhem that Weiss will never actually unleash. It shows that Weiss is feeling vulnerable about whatever this is, too, so she's lashing out to let Blake know how dangerous and _not vulnerable at all_ she is.

In a way, the threat tells Blake that they're friends more surely than anything either of them said in the wake of the resolution of their fight.

Blake might prefer silence and stillness to insults and threats, but she recognises the impulse that directs Weiss nonetheless. It's an impulse born out of past damage, out of knowing that letting people get close to you is to offer them the opportunity to damage you again. It's something that Weiss and Blake have in common, something they've never discussed and likely never will. And yet...Blake can see Weiss wrestling against her fear bit by bit, day by day, and the mildness of the implicit threat on the card in Blake's hand is indication that Weiss is winning.

Blake wants her to win, because then it will prove to her that winning is possible.

Weiss' imperative to leave Yang and Ruby out of this could imply that one or both of them have done something to set Weiss off, but...she's not angry. The excessive formality is indication that Weiss is merely uncomfortable. So whatever this is, it probably isn't Yang's fault. And Ruby might do things that make Weiss uncomfortable on an hourly basis, but Weiss usually sorts things out with her partner directly. Why ask for Blake now?

Blake supposes that there's only one way to find out. She shrugs. "I guess I'd better see what Weiss needs, before the ice queen has a meltdown."

* * *

When she enters Training Room Seven, Blake freezes in the doorway, unsure what to make of the scene in front of her.

Training Room Seven is relatively small, meant for one-on-one sparring between advanced students. There is no observation gallery, or big screen to display aura levels. There is only worn padding on the floor and walls, and the persistent aroma that is the consequence of decades old material soaking up the sweat of hundreds of sparring teens.

At least, that's how it usually is. But today, the corners of the room have been filled with fresh flowers, drowning out the unpleasant odour. Today, a small, round, mahogany table has been set up at one side of the room, draped in white linen the colour of fresh snow. A pair of matching chairs sit at either end of the table. On the embroidered cloth is a steaming teapot, two cups decorated with gold leaf and a stand holding plates laden with dainty snacks both sweet and savoury.

Weiss Schnee stands in the middle of the room, her hands behind her back, her head held high, her chin thrust out, her shoulders more rigid than even her standards of good posture require.

"Blake." She inclines her head a measured fraction of an inch. "Thank you for accepting my invitation, and for your punctuality."

"Uh...huh." Blake takes another look around the room, but she sees nothing else. She does notice that Weiss is getting even more stiff and haughty as she stands in the middle of the room, barely even breathing. Blake steps inside and closes the door behind her. She engages the safety lock and nods at Weiss. "I mean, you're welcome? Is everything okay, Weiss?"

When the door closes, Weiss sighs so quietly Blake knows she would have missed it if she didn't have four ears. Weiss gestures with one hand at the table. "Please! Sit."

The skin of Weiss's hands is wrinkled and pale from how tightly she was squeezing her hands together behind her back, Blake notes as she walks to the table. She lowers herself into a chair, watching Weiss as she briskly strides over and pours them both tea.

"Weiss? Could you say something, please?"

Weiss nods jerkily. She seats herself opposite Blake, picking up her teacup with thumb and forefinger around the tiny handle. She takes a sip of tea, nods once, then says, "I need...a favour. And I can't go to anyone else with this."

"Not even Yang? Not even Ruby?"

"_Especially_ not Ruby. And it couldn't ever be _Yang_!"

Blake has more questions, perhaps too many. She raises her eyebrows at Weiss, hoping that her teammate will answer the the right one without Blake having to figure out what it is.

"Ah, I don't mean...not in a _bad_ way. Not exactly. Yang wouldn't be able to help herself, that's all. And Ruby...I don't _want_ her to know that I needed...this kind of help." 

Weiss hesitates, her lips pursing. Blake raises her eyebrows higher, and Weiss sighs. She rests one hand on the table, lays her other hand on top, and stares at her fingers. Weiss laces and unlaces them as she talks. 

"Blake, I was...raised a certain way. I was taught how to behave in a wide variety of social contexts, but in spite of every lesson in deportment and etiquette I've had, I'm still...lacking. Being at Beacon has shown me that there are social considerations I am ill-equipped to meet. I need you to--" Weiss swallows. "That is, I was _hoping_ you would help me repair certain...deficiencies in my education."

"Weiss, I'm trying to follow, but..." Blake shakes her head. "You...need a faunus to help you? Is that it? Because I'm not sure about where this is going."

"Wh-what? A faunus...?" Weiss looks up, her expression startled. "_No_! I need a friend!" She squirms in her seat, her face reddening. She lowers her head again. Abruptly she blurts, "One who can be discreet, one who won't make...you were the only person I could ask to help me with this."

Weiss is the smallest member of Team RWBY, but it's easy to forget that when she projects as much arrogance as Yang at the world, albeit with less of Yang's redeeming qualities to go with it. But Weiss looks so tiny now, so fragile, that it serves as a reminder that for as much as being a Schnee has given Weiss, it's withheld some things from her, too.

Blake picks up her cup and tries the tea. Her eyes widen. "Oh! This is delicious. Thank you, Weiss."

"You're welcome." Weiss perks up a little. She takes another sip from her own cup. "It's nice to be able to share it with someone who has the palate to appreciate it. You know Ruby would add five sugars first. And Yang..." Weiss' nose wrinkles. "Well. She only seems to enjoy guzzling cafeteria coffee."

"Right." Blake supposes that it's a kind of compliment, even if it is at the expense of her friends. There is a _reason_ Weiss gets teased so much. "So, what am I repairing for you?"

Weiss puts down her teacup. Her face is still quite pink. "I...was hoping you could help me train in a manoeuvre I find myself unable to perform to an adequate level, and in greater need of than any of my tutors ever led me to believe was possible."

Blake drinks some more tea, because at least tea always makes sense. "And that is?"

"It...it's been challenging, trying to adjust to the way that people like...like Ruby build and maintain societal bonds. It's different from what I'm used to. I find myself wanting to, though. And I know you know how to...I'm willing to meet this challenge! If you...if you could train me in the techniques of..." Weiss stands up and moves to the middle of the room. She holds out her arms. She bites her lip, sighs, and looks away. "Hugging."

Blake nearly spits up her tea. Even as she coughs up the drops of liquid that had gone down her windpipe, Blake has to wonder what sort of life Weiss has had where she needs a hug tutor. And then she thinks about her own life, and her thoughts take a different direction.

Blake is not a stranger to hugs, it's true. But the years since she left her parents have been less full of soft touches than she could have hoped. She'd been prepared to endure hardship for the cause when she'd chosen the White Fang over her family, and for a long time she thought that she shared those hardships with Adam. But there was always a hardness to Adam, a delight not in sharing touch but establishing his physical prowess. How long had it taken Blake to realise that the gentleness she had offered him had been sometimes tolerated but never returned? How long had she been blind to what he was, to what the White Fang was becoming due to his influence? How long had it taken for him to steal all the softness from her life?

It had taken Blake a while to accept friendship again. She's still learning to accept gentle touches. Blake supposes that she has Yang to thank for bringing hugs back into her life, just as Ruby is doing for Weiss.

"You're laughing," Weiss mutters through her clenched jaw. Her arms drop to her sides, her hands bunching into fists. Blake has a lot of experience dealing with angry Weiss, but this is the first time she's looked quite so...brittle. "Of course you are! What else should I expect from _anyone_ in this barbaric institution! I can't believe I--"

"Weiss!" Blake clears her throat . She carefully places her cup on its saucer. "I was surprised, that's all. I wasn't laughing, I was choking!"

Weiss glares at her. "...is that meant to be like one of Yang's dumb puns?"

"No," Blake says softly, patting the air between them with her hands. This isn't how she thought her afternoon would go, but Blake finds her initial shock fading, being replaced with a warmth in her chest. For Weiss, something as simple as a hug is a difficult problem to overcome. That she's reaching out to Blake for help is...surprisingly touching. And perhaps Blake could use some practice, too. "No. You need, uh, want some help. From a friend. I take that seriously. And I...want to help."

Some of the rigidity leaves Weiss' posture. "Okay. Fine! So... hurry up and let me hug you, then! Ugh!"

Blake can't help a small smile. "Hugs are meant to be nice, Weiss. Rule one: don't make disgusted noises and scrunch up your face when you initiate one."

"I'm n-not scrunching!" Weiss unscrunches her face. "I don't scrunch. Schnees never scrunch!"

"Right." Blake stands up, approaching Weiss slowly. "You know...if this makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to--"

"It doesn't!" Weiss hesitates, her shoulders slumping. "Ruby makes it seem so effortless, but I don't always know...and I want to learn! I want to be able to make her feel...warm. With me. Like I do with--" Weiss shakes herself. She meets Blake's eyes, her jaw set and her blue eyes full of fierce conviction. "I _refuse_ to become cuddly, but I do not object to a degree of physical contact with...certain people. And if I am to hug, no matter how infrequently, it will be to an _exceptional_ standard. Now prepare yourself, Blake! We begin!"

Weiss drops into a fencer's stance, her expression hardening, her eyes flicking over Blake, testing for weaknesses. She suddenly hops forward, landing on both feet in front of Blake with a sharp cry. Blake flinches, instinctively raising her arms in a defensive stance. Taking advantage of that opening, Weiss drives forward off her back foot, fully extending her leg into a lunge that slams her shoulder into Blake's solar plexus, blasting the air out of Blake's lungs. Weiss throws one arm out for balance and wraps the other around Blake's hips, yanking her forward. She presses the side of her head against Blake's ribs.

"Was...that okay?" Weiss asks a moment later, her voice muffled yet clearly nervous.

After a minute in which Blake pats Weiss' shoulder until she releases her hold and works out how to breathe again, Blake says, "It was...a _good_ balestra. And a nice lunge. But fencing technique isn't really applicable to hugging."

"I...see. Yes, of course." Weiss whips out her scroll, and begins to type furiously. "Perhaps we should have started with theory instead of rushing to the practical element. What else can you tell me?"

"Weiss?"

"Hmm?" She doesn't look up from her urgent typing.

Blake takes a second to evaluate again how difficult this is going to be. Tempting as it is to make an excuse to escape, Blake can't leave Weiss now. Especially when Blake is beginning to understand one of Weiss' motives for doing this. She wonders if Weiss even fully understands the extent of her desire to get physically closer to Ruby.

Blake suppresses a sigh. She's going to have to see this through, even if it means more bruises.

"...rule two is no lunging. Rule three: relax. Hugs are meant to be relaxing for everyone involved. I know sometimes it's hard for you to let your guard down, but--"

"I can relax," Weiss hisses through clenched teeth, giving Blake an icy stare. She pockets her scroll and strides towards Blake, her arms spread, her fingers hooked like Beowolf claws. "I'm _so_ relaxed! I'll show you exactly how relaxed I am with the most relaxing hug you'll ever receive!"

"Whoah!" Blake backs up a step, only the ribbon she's wearing preventing her cat ears from flattening themselves to her skull. "Uh, that's, uh, maybe we should take a break, before the tea gets cold?"

Weiss freezes in place. Slowly, she deflates, her proud glare becoming a dejected gaze directed at the padded floor. "Sorry. I...sorry."

Blake allows herself a smile. She carefully takes a step forward, then another, then pauses, right on the edge of Weiss' space. "Rule four: sometimes you just need to go with what feels right."

Moving slowly, Blake eases into Weiss' space. She folds her arms around Weiss, tugging her close. She places one hand in the middle of Weiss' back, and with the other she cups the back of Weiss' head, tucking Weiss under her chin. Blake holds her close, humming softly.

After a frozen moment, Weiss leans into Blake. Shyly, stiffly, she wraps her arms around Blake's waist. They stay like that for a while, Weiss relaxing more and more into the embrace. Blake holds her while tension eases out of Weiss' frame. She holds her until Weiss lets go of her waist, and then Blake lets Weiss pull back.

"Thank you for the...demonstration," Weiss murmurs, clasping her hands behind her back. Her face is pink and she looks at Blake only from the corner of her eye. "I learned a great deal."

"Weiss..." Blake chuckles. "It wasn't a demonstration. I just wanted to give my friend a hug."

"Oh." Weiss considers this information, her face getting slightly more red. "I...would it be appropriate to...I think I would like to show my appreciation by reciprocating your kind gesture, Blake."

Blake smiles. "Rule five: less talking, more hugging."

Weiss dips her chin in a nod. She steps into Blake's space a little stiffly, a little slowly. She puts her arms around Blake, holding more of her own posture than her friend's body. Before Blake can offer any more rules, though, she hears Weiss whisper, "Rule four."

One of Weiss' hands moves, coming up to touch the back of Blake's head. More firmly than gently, but--for Weiss--still gently, she guides Blake's head onto her shoulder. She wraps her other arm around Blake's waist, pulling her in closer. She holds Blake loosely enough that Blake knows she'll be able to slip out of Weiss' arms easily. She holds Blake tightly enough that Blake knows she's welcome to stay. Tentatively, Weiss begins to stroke Blake's hair.

Blake closes her eyes and sinks into the sudden softness of Weiss' embrace, sinks into muscle memory of being held in her mother's arms, sinks into a kind of happiness she'd almost forgotten existed. Weiss holds her in that place for a minute or for several, until Blake remembers where they are and who she is.

Weiss lets her go when she Blake lifts her head. She steps back, quickly tucking her hands behind her back, her body language becoming rigid again. "Ah...was that a better attempt?"

Blake feels the corner of her mouth lift in a smile. "Much. Yes."

"G-good." Weiss nods stiffly. "Would you care for more tea, or...?"

"No thanks. I think I should--"

"Of course! You must have...things...to do."

"Yeah. Yeah, things. Which I'd better--"

"Please! Don't allow me to hold you back!"

There's a pause in which neither of them move. Then Weiss dips into a curtsey, flaring her skirt with one forefinger and thumb, spreading her other arm out in an elegant gesture and bowing her head. "Thank you, Blake. For...the lesson."

Blake smiles. "Thanks for the hug."

She makes it to the door before Weiss speaks again.

"Blake, I..." Weiss has her head down, pretending to examine the hem of her skirt. "That is, if I should need more...tutoring, would you perhaps--"

"Any time, Weiss."

Weiss offers Blake a smile as a parting gift, a smile as warm and welcome as a hug.

* * *

A few days later Blake is sitting on her bed, reading, while Weiss quietly studies at her desk. They're otherwise alone, but where once there might have been tension in the air between them, now there is Blake's favourite kind of peace: that of sinking into a good story accompanied by the rustle of paper and the scratching of a pen, the soft breath of a friend nearby lost in their own world but easily reached, the warmth of a late summer afternoon. 

At least, there is peace until Ruby bolts into the room in a shower of rose petals, stopping in the middle of their room. She looks around wildly until she spots Blake, her boots scraping and thudding against the floor, her breathing strained after a sustained sprint. She's clutching a thick book in one hand and her scroll in the other. Her hair is a wild tangle, her silver eyes are wide and worried, her cheeks are flushed and her mouth turned down in something like a frown. "Blake! Help!"

"Hey, Ruby," Blake says, calmly turning a page. Ruby makes appearances like this often enough for Blake to be able to tell at a glance that she isn't in real distress, just Ruby distress. "Forget something?"

"Hey! Blake! Yes!" Ruby gulps down some air. Her fingers drum out a complicated rhythm on the cover of the book. "Weiss has an essay! I mean, she has to do an essay! On classical Grimm hunting techniques and how they got hunters eaten! And I have her copy of Growl's _Grimm: Making Them Bite The Bullet Not You_! What if she needs it?!? I should have given it back already! But I have to get to my weapon shop class! Can you sneak into the library and give it to her?! And by give I mean, maaaaybe you could sort of slip it into her bag while she isn't--"

"Or you could turn around," Blake points out, turning another page. "And give it to her yourself?"

"Eep!" Ruby leaps into the air, landing facing Weiss, who has risen from her desk and now strides towards Ruby, her fists clenched and hanging by her sides. "Oh! Hey! Weiss! Wow! I, uh, really...like your hair today! It's the same as every day, I guess, but I like it every day, so...yeah... "

"Ruby," Weiss says slowly. She stops in front of Ruby, frowning slightly. "There is no point in giving me my book when you _also_ have to write an essay on--"

"I did it already!" Ruby blurts, holding up Weiss' book like a shield. "I knew I had other things to do anyway and that you might need your book so I got the essay done early and I meant to give you your book back sooner but I forgot and I'm sorry!"

"I...see." Weiss' fists unclench. She gently takes the book from Ruby's hand, placing it on her bed. She looks at Ruby, considering her while Ruby fidgets under the scrutiny. "I'm pleased to see you taking my advice on time management more seriously. And I'd be happy to review your essay before you submit it, if you like."

"Oh. Yeah! Thanks!"

Blake, watching them over the top of her book, catches Weiss' eye. Blake mouths 'Rule Four'. Weiss blinks, then takes a deep breath and focuses on Ruby.

"And," Weiss says, taking a step closer to Ruby. "While you did forget for a while, I appreciate the consideration you showed in thinking about...me. Thank you."

Weiss takes another step, putting her arms around Ruby and pulling her into a gentle hug. Ruby squeaks in shock, dropping her scroll with a muted thud. Ruby hesitantly puts her arms around Weiss. From where Blake is sitting, it sounds like Ruby stops breathing. After a few seconds, Weiss pulls away.

"Now, I should finish my essay and you have somewhere else to be don't you?"

"Huh? So warm...what?" Ruby blinks at Weiss. Her face is flushed and her eyes dazed. She gasps, waving her arms frantically. "Oh! I'm talking out loud! OH! I'm late!"

With a blur of red, a small clap of thunder and a brief shower of rose petals, Ruby is gone.

Weiss sighs, but the irritated huff of her breath is belied by the smile on her lips. She stoops and picks up Ruby's scroll. She holds it out to the empty air, placing her other hand on her hip and composing her features into a look of icy disdain.

With a clap of thunder, a red blur and a shower of rose petals, Ruby reappears. She snatches up her scroll, squeaks out a thanks, and vanishes again.

Weiss shakes her head, smiling. She freezes when she meets Blake's eye, so Blake lowers her book and lets Weiss see her smile. Weiss blushes, dipping her knees into a quick curtsey. She goes back to her desk and tries to lose herself in her essay.

Blake returns to her book, using it to hide her grin.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading folks! This was meant to be a quick, silly thing I'd write quickly as a relief from things that were getting too complicated. It ended up being a looot more work than I thought it would, but it's done at last!
> 
> Please do let me know what you thought in the comments! It's always good to hear from you guys! :)


End file.
